Merritt truck driver finding fame on TikTok with insights into his life and work
Chace Barber has garnered nearly 400,000 followers by sharing videos on the social media platform
A truck driver from Merritt, B.C., has found Internet fame by posting videos of his adventures as a logging trucker on TikTok.
Chace Barber started sharing videos on the popular social media app around a year ago and has since amassed nearly 400,000 followers.
"I'll be honest, I have no idea how I got that many followers," Barber told CBC's Daybreak South on Tuesday.
"I just filmed what was on my mind and, a lot of the time, what's on my mind is really dumb. And apparently people like that."
While his videos are mainly about his job driving a logging truck, Barber also gives a light-hearted look into his life by introducing Cedar, his puppy and driving buddy, and even posting some dancing videos.
"I really enjoy driving trucks, so I try and share a little bit of my passion for this industry through TikTok," he said.
But it's not all fun and games. Barber also addresses some issues that are important to him on his channel, like his thoughts on the logging industry.
"I'm sure this is going to be a controversial opinion for someone in the logging industry," he says in one of his videos. "Right now on Vancouver Island, they're harvesting old growth that's up to 1,200 years old, and all I can think of is, why? Why do we need to log these trees? Logging and forestry can be really sustainable if it's done well."
Barber's videos have garnered a collective 7.4 million likes. He says it's all been worth it because he's been able to connect with people he otherwise wouldn't have met.
"The perks of being popular on TikTok is reaching out with a lot of other TikTok creators. I've met people I consider close friends from around the world: Scotland, Australia, South America, South Africa. It's just cool," he said.
Barber says he will continue to share his passion as long as his videos continue to make people smile.
"I have absolutely no goals for my TikTok," he said. "If I can make a few people laugh or entertain a few people, that's all that matters."
With files from Daybreak South and Brendan Coulter